UGE stays on a path of growth through its new product developments.

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Midwest Green Energy, LLC Automated Life, Inc.

In the less than three years since the company was founded, Urban Green Energy (UGE) has proven it has the wherewithal to become one of the largest manufacturers of wind turbines in the world. “We are aggressively pursuing growth through new product launches and distributors,” CEO Nick Blitterswyk says. “In­creased capacity is something we are putting a lot of resources into right now.”   

Focusing on small wind turbines – considered those of 100 kilowatts or less – the New York City-based firm considers itself a leader in vertical axis wind turbines, which differ from traditional wind turbines in that their main axis is perpendicular to the ground. This configuration makes them ideal for both rural and urban environments, Blitterswyk says, because they are not affected by the direction of the wind and are better able to harvest turbulent airflow around buildings or other obstacles.   

“The technology is very quiet, with low vibration,” he explains. “We think the aesthetics are nice, and the turbines take up a lot less space than solar power.” This makes them appropriate solutions for homes, apartment complexes, office buildings and commercial outlets, as
well as for unique applications such as electric vehicle recharge centers, communication towers, and advertising and marine environments, Blitterswyk says.

UGE’s ‘Strong Growth’
A robust distribution network has enabled UGE to thrive, according to Blitterswyk. “Primarily, we sell through distributors,” he says. “We have distributors on every continent. Some of them have different target markets. One is just focused on the telecom industry, but a lot of them are focused on residential, government and commercial applications – even within a small geographic region.”   

Aside from its New York City headquarters, the company also has offices in London, U.K., and Beijing, China. Its production headquarters are located near Beijing and include full testing and development functionality, Blitterswyk says. “We want to be known as a high-quality manufacturer and that’s a key thing we strive for,” he asserts. “Before a turbine goes out, we always ask ourselves, ‘Is this the same quality as a brand new car coming off an assembly line?’   

“Even in this tough market, we have been experiencing strong growth,” he continues. “And that comes back to our market-leading products, international diversification and attention to customer service. With respect to our customers, we think they are looking for trustworthy, high-quality products that are going to work as advertised for an extended period of time.”

Product Diversification
UGE launches approximately one new product every six to eight weeks, which is “quite a few, especially for a fairly new company,” Blitterswyk says, adding that one of its newest products is a wind-powered streetlamp, which boasts a modern aesthetic design. “It’s been exciting, but it’s also pretty trying for our production team when prototyping new molds.    

“As a byproduct, it has helped us with customized products and translating those into unique projects,” he continues. “We could have more standardization and less customization if we wanted; but in the end, this allows us to make the best-performing products out there. We allow our customers to choose the color and size of their turbines, which really reflects our desire to provide our customer with exactly what they want.”   

Meanwhile, UGE continues to prepare for accelerated growth. The company moved into its production facility in August and is expanding it already. “We have a two-and-a-half-year plan to fully develop the land we have,” Blitterswyk says. “Our total plan is to have 11 buildings, and we’re just finishing off the third and fourth. 

“Right now, we’re putting the assembly lines in place to produce 2,500 units per year, and that will be built out as we get toward our 10,000-unit goal.”   

Blitterswyk and his two co-founders started UGE “because we wanted to make a difference in the world,” he says. “One of the primary questions we ask when we interview people we consider bringing on board is ‘are you an environmentalist’ and ‘how do you feel about the environment.’” mt